STARKVILLE — The Greater Starkville Development Partnership is hosting a series of educational panel sessions for new and existing businesses.
Dubbed the B.A.I.L series, it will include educational business sessions from June 7 to Dec. 6 at the Starkville Community Theater at 108 E. Main St. The series is open to anyone who wants to learn ways to improve their business and network with banking, accounting, insurance and legal service providers, GSDP Director of Membership Development Hunter Harrington said.
Harrington told The Dispatch her team created the series after attending a Small Business Development Center workshop hosted by Chip Templeton earlier this year that focused on those four topics. Harrington said she took the idea to heart and began marketing the series in early May to both event goers and potential panel speakers.
“During one of these workshops, (Templeton) said every business needs a B.A.I.L team,” Harrington said. “…. So we wanted to take this a step further and get these groups together. They’re all partnership members that are going to be on each panel. We wanted to spotlight each of these different areas.”
The first panel will feature representatives from five banks in Starkville: Renasant Bank, Guarantee Bank, Cadence Bank, BankFirst and The First Bank. The accounting panel will be held Aug. 2, the insurance panel on Oct. 4 and the legal session on Dec. 6.
Jeffrey Rupp, director for outreach at the Mississippi State University Entrepreneurship Center and also the city alderman for Ward 3, will moderate the first panel June 7.
“Starkville is growing, and we’re in a great period right now, so, I think it’s very forward-thinking on Hunter Harrington’s part to do this because they are anticipating this need and providing it,” Rupp said.
Renasant Bank Market President for Starkville Donna Sims and Cadence Bank Assistant Vice President Brad McKenzie will both be speakers on the first panel. Both said the session will focus on information for new business owners looking to learn the nuances of business banking, including accounts, loans and setting up lines of credit.
“Sometimes people will be a little bit timid when it comes to approaching a bank,” Sims said. “Just to be able to give them some general banking topics and knowledge and pointers on what they’ll need, as far as opening a business account with the bank, or even applying for a loan, it will be very helpful for these businesses.”
Harrington said 25 attendees have signed up for the series, and she hopes that more will fill up the more than 100 slots available at each panel. Registration is free and can be found on the GSDP website.
Speakers at the next event will be announced at a later date, Harrington said.
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